Slub detector, catcher, or breaker



April 25, 1933. E. J. ABBOTT SLUB DETECTOR, CATCHER, OR BREAKER 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1950 jcverzZai' 2 Feels ami'ng April 5, 1933. E. J. ABBO TT 1,905,259 SLUB DETECTOR, CATCHER, 0R BREAKER 7 Filed Sept, 29, '1930 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD'J'. ABBOTT, OF WILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, -ASSIGNOR TO ABBOTT MACHINE COMPANY, OF WILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF 'NEW HAMPSHIRE SLUB DETECTOR, CATCH ER, OR BREAKER xpplication filed September 29, 1930.. Serial No. 484,993.

This invention relates to devices for detecting imperfections, in the nature of enlargements, in textile strands including spun yarns,'threads, and cordage, as wellas wire, or other filaments, hereinafter generically referred to for COIIVQIHGIICQ as yarn. Such a device may exercise a controlling action with respect to the functioning ofany element which is to be affected by or in response to the presence of an enlarged abnormality on the yarn. Specificillustrations of such functioning are the motion of the yarn itself, the movement of a valve, or the trippingof a trigger.

The invention will be described, for purposes of illustration, and not by way of limi tation, as embodied in a detector for detecting. those enlarged imperfections on yarn which are commonly known as slubs. Such slub detecting mechanism maybe applied to any moving strand of yarn to detect slubs thereon, and specific instances of its apphcability are to a winding machine of any .kind, to a device for inspecting yarn, and to a yarn-using machine, such, for example, as a continuous weft loom, braiding machine or knitting machine, to detect slubs which ought not to be permitted to enter these machines.

I have found it desirable to detect the presence of soft slubs which are relatively large in diameter and to ignore the presence in the yarn of such imperfections as are usually termed nips. In weaving certain types of fabrics small imperfections in the yarn such detecting means which is responsive in its operation to a function of boththe diameter and length of an imperfectiomfor example,

allow not only a thicker, but also a longer which may be called the detecting position;

the, volume. It will be understood that av I slub is not truly spherical in shape but is elongated in the direction of length of the yarn,- and that its bulk is a function of both its length and diameter.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved detecting means which is readily adjustable to allow thicker imperfections to pass without detection when larger yarn is beinginspected. In determining the maximum size of a slub which is 'to pass without causing the detector to operate I have found it desirableto consider the re ation between the length of the slub and the size of the yarn, and in some instances to slub, to pass the detector without actuation thereof, when larger yarn is being inspected.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to render the detector simultaneously adjustable for size of yarn, and for length'as well as diameter of imperfections which will pass the detector. without causing the detector to operate.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of slub detecting means typical of the invention;

Fi 2- is a section on line 22 of Fig. l, showmg the movable detector or feeler in its normal position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the movable slub-engaging detector in the position to which it has been moved by a slub-on the yarn, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a shim adapted for use in the movable slub-engagin means;

ig. .6 is an illustration of a small eccentric nip on the yarn which the slub detector is adapted to allow to pass without being actuated thereby; i

Fig. 7 is an illustration of a large, soft slub which will actuate the detector; I

Fig, 8 is a front elevation of a detector embodying the principle of the invention but in modified form; i

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the detector of v Fig. 8;

embodiment of the invention adapted to break the yarn upon the occurrence of a long soft slub, as distinguished from a short permissible imperfection. Y i

The slub detecting mechanism is adapted to operate in response to the relative movement of a yarn and the detector mechanism as a whole, and 'when I refer to the passing yarn I wish the expression to be understood in the relative sense, although itis true that in most casesthe yarn is in reality the moving element. In the present embodiment of the invention the 'strand of yarn Y is drawn through suitable guiding means by the tractive effort of any suitable yarn-using or winding machine. In the embodiment illustrated 1n Figs. 1 and 2, the yarn guiding means comprises porcelain knobs 2 and 3, guide pins 4 and 5, and a yoke 6. These latter guiding members are carried by a fixed arm 7 to which the porcelain knob 2 is attached by means of the pivoted extension arm 8. The yoke 6 is rigidly secured at one end to the arm 7 and at the other end to a block 9 which may be supported in any suitable manner inthe yarn wmding, inspecting, or using machine with which theslub detecting mechanism is to be used.

- The slub responsive means comprises a movable feeler or detector adapted to allow certain permissible imperfections, such for example, as the nip N of Fig. 6, to pass freely therethrough, but which is adapted to be moved by frictional contact with long soft slubs. In order to prevent the slub-engag ng detector or feeler from being actuated by nips, I provide the detector with slubengaging sur aces spaced sufliciently far apart to permit these n1 s topass therebetween with but slight frictlonal resistance, but'of sufficient length in the direction of the travel of theyarn to offer considerable frictional resistance to the passage'of long soft slubs.

A slub is soft and easily compressible, and I have found it desirable to utilizethese characteristics in bringing ab 1t a frictional contact between the moving s 11b and a movable slub-en gin detector or feeler, and in distinguisfii ng etween slubs and permissible imperfections. Accordingly, I space the slub-engaging surfaces of the detector sulficiently close to exert a substantial compressing action upon large and undesirable slubs.

In this compressed condition the large slubs exert a much greater frictional pull' on the I detector than the denser and harder nips, since the former are considerably compressed and the latter are not. By this compressive action imperfections in the yarn are progresslvelyreduced to a certain maximum th1ckness (equal to the distance between the slubengaging surfaces), and the forward motion of those imperfections which are under compression' and have considerable surface area, namely, large or long slubs, is utilized to actuate the slub detector. The movable slub detectors or feelers employed in the specific embodiments of the invention described tegral with, but of less height than members '10 and 11; Members 10 and 11 have a considerable dimension in the direction of motion of the yarn, shown in Fig. 2 as of several times (preferably say 16 -to 50 times) the width of the throat 26. For specific example, in the case of certain yarns, the members 10 and 11 may be-spaced from five to .thirty thousandths of an inch apart while having a dimension in the direction of movemlent of the yarn of one-half inch. A normal setting of the members 10 and llmay be about .015 inches apart, or but slightly greater "than a common average diameter of eccentric ni s. Due to their relatively large dimension in the direction of the travel of the yarn, members 10 and 11 present surfaces of relatively large area between which the yarn is passed.

The throat 26, as shown in Fig. 4, has a lateral depth of several times (and preferably many times) its width. This depth of throat 26 permits a strand of yarn to run freely therethrough and permits a small nip N which usually protrudes eccentrically' of the yarn to twist its longer dimension into the direction of depth of the throat and thus pass freely through, instead of being wedged between the two side surfaces thereof.

The yoke 6 and guide pin 5 align the yarn with the throat'26 and also retain the yarn in a position (Figs. 2 and 3) in which imperfections can not engage or wedge in the righthand end, which I call the bottom, of the throat. This prevents a positive actuation of the slub-engaging element by a small nip wedging in the bottom of the throat.-

In some cases I grovidemeans for renderustable for various sizes ing the detector a of Syarn and for-determining the thickness of a ub which will actuate the device. embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.

1 to 4, I have provided such an adjusting means in the form of a removable shim or shims 15 held in place by the bolt 12 and adapted to determine the spacing of memand hence the space between members 10 and 11 is increased and the inertia of the slubengaging element increased simultaneously. This duplexity of function of the shim or shims 15 constitutes a distinct advantage in that an increase in thickness of the shim 'or shims 15 to adapt the slub-engaging means for use with larger yarns simultaneously increases the inertia of the slub-engaging means.

than on smaller yarn is accomplished, and more massive slubs may thus be permitted to pass without actuation of the slub-engaging means when larger yarn is inspected.

- .The' slub-engaging detector or feeler comprising members 10 and 11 is adapted to impart motion to some other element, which in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewtith is a shaft 17 ,mounted for rotation in block 9, and adapted to perform any desired indicating or controlling function such,

for example, as tripping a trigger, moving a valve, operating a. yarn cutting shear, etc. A member 10 of the slub-engaging means is rigidly connected to a collar 18 which in turn is keyed or otherwise fastened at 19 to the rotatable shaft 17. In this manner, the slubengaging means is mounted for rotation from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, and motion of the slub-engaging means is transmitted to shaft 17 The particular apparatus controlled by shaft 17 forms no part of this invention, and hence will not be described.

' In operation, the yarn passes over the guiding means-comprising knobs 2 and 3, arms land 5, and through yoke 6 in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 2, passing through'throat 26 between members 10 and 11 of the detector The detector has considerable inertia and is not moved by frictional contact of the yarn therewith. A

small nip N, as shown in Fig. 6, will pass between the surfaces 10 and 11 of the de-- tector without exerting suflicien't frictional. contact with the inner surfaces of its throat to cause actuation thereof. When, however,

In the- The desirable result of presenting greater resistance to slubs on larger yarn a long, soft slub, such as is shown at S. in Fig. 7, engages the throat of the detector, it is compressed thereby and the frictional engagement between the slub and the walls 10 and 11 of the throat is sufiicient'to enable the forward niption of the slub to carry the detector through an are from the position of Fig. 2 to the detecting position of Fig. 3, thereby rotating shaft 17 and causing it to exercise the desired indicating or controllin function. As shown in Fig. 3, when the slu has' rotated the slub-engaging element throuh a certain arc, the component of the.v

movement of the detector vperpendicularto the yarnhas become great enough to disengage the narrow portion ofthe throat from the slub and allow the slub to pass freely upward between the out-turned members .13 and 14. The detector is restored to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, by gravity, subsequent to the passage of the slub, or by any suitable mechanism for manually orantomatically..-restoring it to its normal position. The restoring force acting on the movable portion of the detector, as the result of gravity in the illustrated embodiments, is an important factor in the operation of the detector to distinguish between yarn imperfections of different lengths. This restoring force, adjusted to a suitable magnitude by the mass of the moving parts, is effective to resist movement of the detector upon the lesser frictional drag of a short permissible imperfection, but is adapted to yield to the greater frictional drag set up by a long slub. This restoring force acting on the movable portion of the detector constitutes a force against which the frictional drag of the-various yarn imperfections can be measured or compared one at a time so that the movement or non-movement of the detecting ele-' ment is determined by the characteristics ofthe individual imperfections severally with the avoidance of cumulative effect caused by i the successive occurrence of slightimperfections which in the absence of such restoring force will tend to move the detector to its detecting position.

In passing through the throat 26 of the described detector, a soft slub is considerably .compressed but the yarn is not broken. The amount of force frictionally transmitted by the slub tothe detector depends both upon the thickness and the length of the slub. A slub that is relatively small in diameter but of considerable length will impart suflicient force to the detector to rotate the latter, while a small hard nip, or a short slub of less than a predetermined thickness, will pass through the throat without frictionally imparting suflicient force to overcome the inertia of the detector and hence will not cause the latter to move to its detecting position.

of time, in order to overcome the increased inertia of the detecting means and cause an actuation thereof. This permits not only a thicker but also a longer s ub to pass through the throat of the detector without actuation thereof. i

In order, when desired, to cause the slubengaging means to transmit motion to shaft 17 in the absence of a slub 'or imperfection, and also to enablev the detector to be moved out of thepath of the yarn when desired,

I have provided means other than the slubladen yarn for moving the slub-engaging means. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, this means for moving the slub-engaging means or detectorcomprises a lever 20 pivoted 'to block 9 bya bolt 21, and provided with a flattened portion 22 adapted to be engaged by the finger of an operator. '-Arm 20 extends underneath members 10 and 11 of the detector and by depressing the flattened portion 22 of the lever 20, the slub-engaging means and shaft 17 can be moved an amount corresponding to the movement caused by the presence of a slnb, or farther completelyto remove the slub-engagingmeans'from the path of the yarn. In order,when desired, to maintain the slub-engaging means in an elevated position, means is provided for frictionally maintaining lever 20 in whatever position it i placed, for example by the provision of a. small spring 23 which is engaged by the bolt 21 frictionally to hold the lever 20 against the block Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive illustrate amodified arrangement wherein the throat or passage t-h'ough which the yarn movesis automatically. constricted'as soon as the detector is moved from its normal position by engagement with an enlargement or slub on the' yarn. This arrangement is even more certain in its operation than that described above in dealing with very soft slubs, since the instant the detector as a whole begins to move in response to the frictional action of the slub the opposite sides of the throat begin to approach, thus placing the'slnb under greater compression and thereby increasing the friction so that even the softest "slub acts with certainty to move the detector to its limited position.

By reason of the gripping action of this formof detector it may be used as a dir'ect means for breaking the yarn, although I contemplate that it will be used in the same way as the detector of Fig. 1 for actuating some other part, either near or remote, for'example, ayarn cutting shear or a stop motion for the yarn delivery means.

In this modified construction the" detector elements 10 and 11 (Fig. 9) with their diverging guide elements 13 and 14 resp'ec+.

' dicated in Fig. 8, the .yarn may, if desired, first pass through suitable tensioning de-' vices, indicated at T, then: through the throat 26 and then -between suitable guides G As illustrated more clearly in F ig. 9,

detector elements proper 10="and 11 are carried by supporting arms '10 and 11", 'the arms with their respective detector elements preferably being integral and consisting of pieces of thin sheet metal each having por tions which are bent at an angle, preferablya right angle to each other, to form *the de-. tector elements 10 and 11 The arms 10" and -11 are disposed closely adjacent to oneanother, the arm 11 being in front and. the

arm 10 at the rear. Preferably as shown'in Fig. 9, the rear arm'lO" is provided with-a portion 10 bent away from the arm 11 to form an enlarged open-bottomed pocket or slot 10 capable of receiving lint which might-' otherwise clog the throat of the detector. As indicated more clearly in Figs; 11 and-:12;- the arm 10 is provided with an opening30 which receives a. pivot member,'-for 'eiral'np le a shaft 17 corresponding to shaftdi of Fig.

2 and adapted by its partial rotation to 'actnate or set into operation any desired part or mechanism. As indicated Fig. -12 the opening 30 is near the lowerIright-hand cor ner of the arm 10", the opening 30 bung-ofsubstantially the same diameter as the pivot member so that the arm 10 swings in'a definite arcuate path, the 'arm' being-fixedto shaft 17 if the latter is to be actuate'd by movement of the .arm. The arm 11 -is provided with a pivot opening 34: near its lipper" right-hand corner which receives a pi-votpln 35 of substantially the same diameter as the opening. The. arm 11 also has an opening 33 directly below the opening 34 of a diameter .substantially largerthan that .of-the pivot 1 member 17 through which the latter-passes freely. Likewise the arm-=10 -has an ope ning 36 directly above the openin 30 for the passage of the pivot pin 35,-but t is opening 36 is of considerably larger diameter thanand the pivot pin 35 are received in holes in a block 9, corresponding to the block 9 oi Fig. 2.

The prlnciple of operation of this construction is illustrated in Fig. 13 where, to a largescale, detector elements .D-and D are carried resgectively by thearms 'A and A pivoted at and 1? respectively. The arms D and D define between them the throat or passage V, shown of exaggerated width in this figure, and it will be noted that whefi the arms A and A are swung to the dotted line position, the detector elements D and D move toward each other so that the throat comes narrower as shown at V Referring again to Figs. 8 and 10, Y is shown in Fig.8 as passin through the normally disposed detector evice having the throat 26 open forthe passage of the yarn. However, when the slub S on the yarn enters between the detector elements 10 and 11', it is slightly compressed and begins to move these-elements with their supporting arms upwardly, it being noted that in this construction the detector elements with their arms maybe extremely thin and light. As soon as the arms begin to move up'the detector elements approach so that, as shown in Fig. 10, the throat 26 has become very narrow so that the slub cannot pass, thus positively completing the upward movement of the detector elements and breaking the yarn if the movement of the yarn is continued.

Obviously by varying the lengths of the supporting arms and the spacing of the pivots for the arms as well as the arrangement of the stop means, the detector may be caused to function in response to slubs ,of different sizes and character. I

In certain of the appended claims where it is stated that the slub-engaging means is not actuated by certain imperfections on the.

yarn, it is meant that the slub-engaging means or detector is not moved completely to its detecting position, Rapidly passing yarn having permissible imperfections may operate ballistically upon the slub-engaging means, but will fail to moveit to its full detecting position as would a long soft slub.

The distance between the opposed blades of the various forms of my invention should be such that permissible imperfections; such as nips, will pass freely into the throat defined by the blades, and so that the longer objectionable imperfections-of about the same diameter will also pass into this throat. This arrangement insures that the yarn will not, in general, be broken by permissible imperfections striking the entrance to the throat as the yarn in the case of devices which rely upon the inability of imperfections to enter a restricted throat or similar opening. The devices of the present invention difier from such prior devices by providing a throat of such depth in the direction of yarn travel as to grip or retard yarn imperfections which have been pulled into the throat. As explained above in connection with the other forms of the invention, the small surfacev area of the permissibleimperfections, such as nips, permits these imperfections to pass through the throat withoutexerting sufiicient drag to cause breakage of the yarn. 4

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for'the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim I i 1. Slub detecting mechanism comprising a pair of detector elements, each having a yarnengaging part and a supporting arm disposed substantially at right angles to the yarn-engaging parts of the two elements being normally parallel and spaced to provide a threat for the passage of the yarn, a pivot for one arm, the other arm having an opening "through which said pivot loosely passes, stop pivotal movement of the pivoted arm thanof the other arm, the pivoted arm having an' elongate slot therein and a pin projecting from the otherarm into said slot.

2. Slub detecting'mechanism comprising a pair of flat blade-like members having sub-.

stantially parallel detector portions normally spaced to provide a throat for passage of yarn and having supporting portions at right angles to said detector portions, said supporting portions being disposed in superposed relation, pivot means for one at least of said supporting portions, pin and slot connections between said supporting portions, and stop means limiting relative movement of said supporting portions, said detector portions when engaged by a slub on the yarn moving toward each other and thereby constricting the throat.

3. Slub detecting mechanism comprising a pair of flat blade-like members arranged one in front of the other-and constituting supportingarms, said members having portions disposed at right angles thereto to form normally parallel detector elements, said elements being spaced to provide a throat for the. passage of yarn, a pivotal support for the rear arm constraining it to. move in a defined arcuate path, the front arin having an opening through which said pivotal support arm having an opening of larger diameter for passage of said pin, and a pin projecting from the front arm into an elongate slot in IQ ments being spaced to provide a throat for the passage of yarn, independent pivots for the respective arms whereby they are adapted to swing in different arcuate paths, and meansfor limiting such movement.

5. A slub detector comprising opposed throat-defining plane portions parallel at least during inaction and spacedto permit the passage of yarn therebetween and at a sufficient distance to permitvyar'n imperfec- 20 tions to pass within the throat in frictional engagement therewith, said throat-defining portions extending sufficiently far in the direction of yarn travel to grip the yarn imperfection contained in said throat much more firmly in the case of a long slub than in the case of a short imperfection of comparable diameter, and means for mounting at least one of the said throat-defining plane portions for movement in the'same direction as the traveling yarn against a restoring force of magnitude effective to prevent such movement in the case of short permissible imperfections and adapted to be overcome by the friction of a long slub.

6. A movable slub-engaging detector element comprising two members defining a yarn-receiving throat therebetween, means for mounting said element for motion with a traveling strand upon the frictional engagement of a slub between the said members, a removable shim and means for retaining said removable shim between .said -members, whereby the inertia to such'motion may be adjusted by the substitution of a shim of the requisite mass. 1

7. A movable slub-engaging element mounted for movement with the traveling yarn and provided with a yarn receiving.

throat, and means for simultaneously adustmg the width of said throat and the inertla of said slub-engaging element.

8. A movable slub-engaging element provided with spaced slub-engaging surfaces defining'a throat through which yarn is adapted topass, at least one of said surfaces havmg ,a dimensionin the direction of the travel of the yarn of at least sixteen times the width of said throat and means for mounting said element for movement with the ed to pass, said surfaces having a dimension traveling yarn upon the entryof'a slub bein the direction of the travel of the yarn of at least sixteen times the width of said throat, and means for mountin movement with the trave ing yarn upon the entry of a slub between said surfaces.

said element for' 10. A movable slub-engaging element provided with spaced slub-engaging surfaces defining a throatthrough which yarn is adapted, to pass, said surfaces having a dimension in the direction of the travel of the yarn of several times the width of said throat, the throat having a depth in the direction of yarn travel of at least sixteen times its I suflicient distance to permit yarn imperfections to pass within the throat in frictional engagement therewith, said throat defining portions extending at least 16 times as far in the direction-of yarn travel as compared to the distance between them so as to grip the yarn imperfection contained in said throat much more firmly in the case of a long slub than in the case of a short imperfection of comparable diameter, and means for mounting at least one of the said throat-defining .plane portions for movement in the same direction as the traveling yarn against a restoring force of magnitude effective to pre vent such movement in the case of short permissible imperfections and adapted to be overcome by thefriction of a long slub. e

12. A slub detector comprising opposed throat-defining plane. "portions parallel at' leastduring inaction and spaced to permit the passage of yarn therebetween and at a sufficient distance to permit yarn 1mpe rfections to pass within the throat in frictional engagement .therewith, saidthroat defining portions extending sufiiciently far'in the direction of yarn travel to grip the yarn imperfection contained in said throat much more firmly in the case of a long slub than n the 'case of a short imperfection of comparable diameter, and means for mounting at least one of the said throat-defining plane portions for movement in the same direction and, also out of the path of the traveling yarn against a restoring force of magnitude effective-to prevent such movement in the case of short permissible imperfections and adapted to be overcome by the friction of along slub.

13. A slub detector comprising parallel opposed throat-defining plane portions' rigid with respect to each other and spaced to permit the passage of yarn therebetween and at a sufficient distance to permit yarn imperfections to pass within the throat in frictional engagement therewith, said throat defining portions extending sufficiently far in the direction of yarn travel to grip the yarn imperfection contained in said throat much more firmly in the case of a long slub than in the case of a short imperfection of comparable diameter, and means for mounting at least one of the said throat-defining plane portions for movement in the same direction as the traveling yarn against a restoring force of magnitude effective to prevent such movement in the case of short permissible imperfections and adapted to be overcome by the friction of a long slub.

14. A slub detector comprising opposed throat defining parallel blades spaced to permit the passage of yarn therebetween and at a sufiicient distance to permit yarn imperfections to pass within .the throat in frictional engagement therewith, said blades which define the throat extending at least 16 times as far in the direction of yarn travel as compared to the'distance between them i so as to grip the yarn imperfection contained in said throat much morefirmly in the case of a long slub than'in the case of a short imperfection of comparable diameter, a rota-' table shaft, said blades being rigidly fixed with relation to each other and mounted on said shaft to turn against the restoring force of gravity under the lifting influence of passing yarn imperfections, the weight of the thus moving parts of the detector being such that gravity prevents the lifting of the blades 1n the case of short permissible imperfections while the greater frictional drag of long slubs is adapted to lift the blades and turn said shaft.

15. In a device for detecting slubs, aslubdetecting element mounted for, movement 40 with a passing yarn imperfection, means for conveying yarn through said slub-engaging element, an actuating member adapted to move said slub-engaglng element independently of the occurrence of a yarn imperfection, said slub engaging element being movable by yarn imperfections independently of said actuating member, and means for retaining said actuating member'in a position such as to hold the slub-engaging element out of the path of the yarn.

Signed by me at Melford, New Hampshire this 25th day of September 1930.

EDWARD J. ABBOTT," 

